Amelia Song - Book 1
by Angela Shae
Summary: A story about a muggle-raised witch named Amelia Song, attending Hogwarts at the same time as Harry Potter, and observing the events of the books unfold from her bystander point of view. Also a story about the life of war from the ones swept into it from the sidelines. (The story is based on a character who only appears twice in the main sequence books)
1. My Normal Childhood

_I tried to stand my ground. But in all honesty I had no idea how only six years of magical education would help me here. Expelliarmus was easily tossed aside, as was my best stunning spell. I tried spell after spell, curse after curse, but Lestrange just threw them aside like all the others. Eventually, I realized that my attempts were futile. I lowered my wand, and just looked straight at her, admitting defeat. She stared right back, and begin to laugh that cackle of hers I had only ever heard about in stories. I knew this was it._

**My Normal Childhood**

My name is Amelia Song. I was born in Wales on 5 October 1980. My mum was a pretty normal person. She owned a bookshop in the centre of Cardiff. I myself was overall an average girl. Blackish-red hair. My grades in school were pretty average, but other than that I had no truly measurable talents or special qualifiers. I tried to do artwork, but I wasn't that great. Then again, I was only eleven. I wasn't focused on things like secondary school, or what my goals in life were.

The one thing I did focus on was this ability I had to change the environment around me. It was nothing drastic. On the contrary it was always small, or insignificant enough that I just assumed I had a slightly wandering mind. But every now and then, I'd notice things happening without me physically doing them. For example, once when I was eight years old and I was reading a book, I remember noticing that the page had turned, but I never remember having actually turned it. Every now and then, something like this would happen, but every time, I would just excused it as me being tired because it was extremely late at night or I had just had a long day.

But this kind of thing happened a bit more often than I was comfortable with. I never told my mum because I figured she might have just told me I was being silly and to go back up and draw some more. So I just let it happen, figuring that eventually it'd just stop, or that over time I'd just get accustomed to it and learn to live with it.. There is only one person I did tell about all of this, and that was my friend Meghan. She would just joke that maybe I was doing it by magic, but more often then not she just told me I was being silly.

Meg was from the United States. She came over when she was 4 years old, and we became fast friends. Somehow she managed to keep her American accent, which always made me curious, but it never really bothered me. We grew up as the steryotypical childhood friends, playing together all the time, and admittedly also getting in trouble a lot.

Meg was also something of a scientist. She was the one who would tell me about the stars at night, and about biology and chemistry, and all the other fun things that she knew about. Many a night was spent at each other's houses, and sometimes I wondered what would happen if we ever moved apart. Meg told me we'd be able to stay in touch, and that she'd write if I ever did. So we continued on with our lives, hanging out and being eleven year old girls. It was one of these nights however when all of that changed.


	2. Minerva McGonagall

**Minerva McGonagall**

t was mid June of 1992. I was eleven at the time, and Meg and I were hanging out, playing some american game she brought with her. About 7 in the evening, just as we were finishing off a round and my mum was setting out dinner, we heard a knock at the door, which was highly unusual as no one ever came visiting us unannounced.

The knock was a sharp rap, quick and to the point.

"Stay here Amelia," my mum said. "Go ahead and start eating. I'll be with you in a moment."

But little did my mum know that that would be quite an unusual moment. She immediately set down the food she had prepared for us on the table, as well as plates, and went to answer the door. Meg and I, however, being young eleven year old girls, hid behind the sitting room door, trying to catch a glimpse of who this mysterious visitor was. My mum opened the door, and was immediately greeted in a formal, but polite tone. However, mum was standing in the doorway, not allowing us to get a good look at the unannounced visitor.

"Miss Song," said the woman at the door.

"Yes," was all mum could say.

"Miss Song, my name is Minerva McGonagall, and I need to speak to you about Amelia. Is she here?"

"Is she in any kind of trouble."

"Not at all, ma'am. I represent a school in upper Scotland, and based on her unique skills, we'd like to offer her a position at our institution. Is she currently at home?"

"Yes. She's in the next room spending time with her friend Meghan. We were just about to sit down for dinner. Would you care to join us?"

"I would be delighted to, but I must ask if her friend is staying long."

"Uh... no? Her mother is set to come pick her up around eight."

"Very well. I do apologize but what I wish to discuss with you and Amelia must be done in private."

"Um... alright. Well, please come in Miss McGonagall. I do hope you enjoy meatloaf."

"Professor McGonagall, and I must say I've never had it."

"Ah. It's an American dish we're having as Meg is over."

Mom let the visitor through the door, and took her coat... no her cloak from her. It seemed to be ancient, as did the woman wearing it. Professor McGonagall tall and thin, wearing a sort of green dress or robe. Her hair was in a bun and very well kept. She seemed to be the kind of person who would be Headmistress of a public school.

"Amelia, can you set another seat at the table for Professor McGonagall here," my mum asked me as they entered the room.

I immediately obliged, and Meg helped me since she could tell I was noticeably nervous. We quickly set the Professor her spot on the table, and then all of us sat down to eat. Dinner was a very quiet affair due to the visitor. Of course we all engaged in polite conversation, and Professor McGonagall asked me a few questions about school and my hobbies, but it was in general a very superficial conversation. After dinner, Meg and I moved to the family room where we tried to guess where McGonagall was from, but Meg's mum came too soon, and before long it was only me and my mother left in the home with the Professor.

"So," my mum started, offering Professor McGonagall a cup of tea, "What exactly are you hear to talk to us about, Professor."

"Well," she responded taking a sip of her tea, "to put it bluntly, I'm here to offer your daughter admission into the school I work for."

"And what school is that?"

"_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_."


	3. The Letter

**The Letter**

Both my mother and I were caught off guard when Professor McGonagall said the name of the school she worked at. My mother had to ask her to repeat herself to make sure she had heard correctly, and after taking a moment to let the truth sink in, she asked her next question. Well it was more of a statement than a question. Technically it was one word.

"Explain."

"Well, m'am, let me put it this way. Certain stories of what you have heard about witches and wizards are true. The most important is that there are indeed witches and wizards living amongst the people of our world. In the United Kingdom, we have a governing body known as the Ministry of Magic, and there is a department in the Ministry that is responsible for looking out for Muggle-born witches and wizards, and informing _Hogwarts_ about their existence."

"I'm sorry," my mum interrupted. "What's a Muggle?"

"A Muggle is a non-magical person, such as yourself. It is not uncommon for a magical person to be born to non-magical parents. However, that being said, there are certain steps that have to be taken to gently introduce them to the magical world."

"If there are magical people in the world though, how come we don't know about them?"

"In the late seventeenth century, the magical community around the world established the International Statute of Secrecy. It is our law to not allow the Muggle community to become aware of our existence. In the event that a muggle sees or learns about us, we perform memory alteration charms to allow them to forget."

"Will you do that to me?"

"No ma'am. As Amelia's parent, you can know. We make similar exceptions for magical people who enter relationships with muggles. You will be aware of the wizarding community from now on, either through what we will tell you or what I am sure Amelia will let you know from her experiences at Hogwarts, if she chooses to go of course."

"She has a choice?"

"Indeed. I have here a letter from the school which we usually deliver by owl. In the cases of muggle-borns, a witch or wizard such as myself is asked to come and speak to the prospective students on behalf of the school to make them aware of the situation."

At this point, Professor McGonagall reached into a fold in her robes and pulled out a rather thick parchment envelope. She handed this envelope to me.

"It's mine," I asked her.

"Indeed, Amelia. I invite you to read it."

I tentatively opened it, and unfolded the parchment inside. There were multiple pages inside, which was daunting, but the first page seemed relatively short. On the top was what I assumed was the crest of the school. It was shield shaped, split into four quadrants each adorned with one of four colours; red, green, blue, or yellow. Inside were a lion, snake, eagle, and badger respectively. Underneath it was a long name: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Underneath that was written Order of Merlin: First Class, and a number of other titles including Headmaster. It seemed that Mr. Dumbledore was a well recognized man in the wizarding world, which would make sense considering he held the title of Headmaster for a public school.

The text of the letter was simple. It told me by name that I was accepted to the _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_, that the term would start on September the first, and that enclosed was a list of books and supplies I would need.

I turned the pages and started looking at a long list of oddly named textbooks. The list seemed to make sense, considering it was a school for witches and wizards, but I had no idea where to start to purchase any of these items.

"Where exactly will I get all of this stuff," I asked.

"Magical students commonly shop in Diagon Alley for their supplies. You can find all that you'll need there."

I heard Professor McGonagall talking, but I kept looking at the list. At the bottom was a sentence that indicated students could keep an owl, a cat, and a toad. My next question was silly, but I had to ask it.

"Does the owl, cat, or toad have to be a magical one. Or can I bring my cat?"

"Sweetie," my mum said, "We haven't even decided if you're going yet."

"But I want to."

"We have to worry about money and such." Her next question was directed at Professor McGonagall. "Will this Diagon Alley accept our money?"

"The bank, Gringotts, will be able to exchange your money into wizarding money. In the event you want to, you will be able to open a vault for Amelia while you are there. Also, if need be, the school offers a small stipend to help families get the basics."

Mom asked for the letter, and I gave it to her. She looked over it carefully, and then just sat there looking at it blankly.

"When do we need to let you know," she asked the Professor.

"Preferably by the end of July. If you would like, either myself or one of the other professors available can accompany you to Diagon Alley. Simply send your response to Minerva McGonagall, Hogwarts. We have wizards and witches working in the muggle post who will find the letter and direct it to myself.

"If that will be all, however, I must be going. I have one more stop to make tonight."

"No I think that will be all. We will be in touch."

With that my mum got up and showed Professor McGonagall out, but before she left I managed to get one more question in.

"Professor," I piped up. She turned and looked at me as she got her cloak on. Suddenly I got afraid.

"What is it?"

"Uh... what exactly do you do at _Hogwarts_."

"I teach transfiguration and I act as deputy Headmistress if for whatever reason Professor Dumbledore has to go somewhere off the school grounds."

"What's transfiguration?"

"It's the turning of an object from something into another. For example:"

She then pulled out of her cloak what I assumed was a wand, and made a crystal goblet out of thin air, and gave it for me.

"Will I be able to do magic like that," I asked her.

"If you do intend to come, not at first, but eventually."

She then tipped her hat to both me and my mom, and then left. I went to the window to see her walk away, but she only walked to the edge of the garden, and then vanished into thin air with a turn of her cloak. I just went to my room for the rest of the night, and lay there in bed. My mum let me keep the letter with me in my room, and I just read it over and over again. Eventually I fell asleep, but not before my night was permeated by dreams of fantastical magical creatures like dragons and goblets appearing all over the place out of thin air.


End file.
